Damiano Valenti
Damiano Valenti, 1th Duke of Ulbia, (Ulbia, 31 May 4517), is an Istalian noble and former politician for the National Alliance for the Empire who served as first Prime Minister Imperial Secretary of State of the newly established Istalian Empire. He is considered as the veritable mind behind the Imperial Reform which transformed the Fifth Istalian Republic in the First Istalian Empire. =Biography= Early Life Damiano Valenti was born in Ulbia from Luca Valenti, an architect, and Cristina Puddu, a loyer. Ha attended the public schools until the University interested in persuing the path of his father. However, when he entered the State University of Calliari, he approached the politics in the wave of the anti-socialist demonstrations which was mounting when in Romula there are debate by part the socialist government and exponents on the possibility to transform definitively Istalia into a Socialist Republic, inspired to the very distant Union of Quanzari Soviets, after having implemented already many socialist reforms. Political Life 'First political experiences' In 4541 Valenti, joined the student collective of his university, went to Rome on invitation of his cousin Caterina Valenti, already within a democratic socialist extraparliamentary movement in contrast with the authoritarian policies adopted by the socialist executive, to demonstrates in Romula with many other students all over Istalia against the Government and there, during hard clashes with the Police, he was seriously wounded remaining in comatose state for almost 8 months. When he woke up, he spent other 18 months in rehabilitation before to return to University where he graduated in 4542, assisting in the meanwhile to the political fight between the socialist President Bibiano Sarracino and the Hosian Democratic Majority of the Parliament. It was during the period, as later he stated, looking at this irresponsible and reckless head of state that he started to reflect on how to protect the institution of the head of state from political clashes and lobbies schirmishes. 'The Resistance to the Thallerist Revolution' After the university he started to work into the architecture practice of his father but he didn't left behind his interest into the politics, starting to be involved in the municipal politics of Ulbia where he was also on the edge to be elected into the Municipal council. However, in February 4546 Julius von Thaller began the Thallerist Revolution seizing the power in Romula. East of Sarregna and Alaria remained almost untouched by the Revolution, however Ulbia province became a refuge for the istalian military who attempted to organize an anti-socialist coup, although being anticipated by von Thaller, and which were fight with the loyalist Armed Forces. However, they were forced to contrast also the arrival of a contingent of thallerist mercenaries sent to take control of the island's main centers. Seeing the country falling into the choas, Valenti started to help the rising Resistance and then he officially joined it. During this period he rose in prominence, helping the resistence on the island to remain in contact with the mainland thansk to his contact with his cousin Valentina, with whom he invented a speacking code to exchanges secret messages. In Eristano he met Michele Appiano De Borromei, remaining fascinated by the charisma of the Air Force's General and then starting to coordinate the Resistance's efforts on the island with the reunited Armed Forces. In 4547 Alaria was freed and Valenti moved with many other voluntaries of the Resistence on the mainland to continue to fight the even more suffering thallerist regime. When the Resistance and the Armed Forces freed also Romula, he decided to stay for a while to partecipate in the reconstruction of the Republic. 'Joining Gloy and Rebirth' Initially he tried to campaign with the Liberal Party for the elections of the costituent parliament, but he was quite deluded by the collegues, too busy arguing and exchanging recriminations about the responsibilities for the Thallerist Revolution, but above all because many were proposing to dissolve the Armed Forces to create in their place a small Defense Force, and retired his candidature just before the elections. He remained in Romula, living in the appartment of his cousin Valentina, where he was attracted by the National Party and campaigning for them until 4553 when he was contacted by Appiano De Borromei who proposed him to join a new political movement, Glory and Rebirth, which he was founding together several politicians and high ranks of Armed Forces, all veterans of the Resistance. Valenti goes to campaign in Sarregna for Glory and Rebirth and he was then elected into the new National Congress of the Fifth Republic. During his first term within the Congress, Valenti began to gain visibility and made himself remarked for his ability in several occasion to appease the contrast between the several voices within Glory and Rebirth and also to get the members of the Congress in line, many of them were just profiteers of the last minute who had abandoned the Liberal Party in dissolution to join the new raising party. He was thus noticed by Filippo Sartori, previous Head of Government and powerful Minister of the Interior with whom became even more close, sharing also the admiration for Appiano De Borromei, and to whom he assured the discipline of the congressmen. During the night of the failed 4558 coup d'état attempted by dissent members of the Armed Forces, he was among the Congressmen arrested but then freed by the loyalist forces and ready to return to work, adopting however a more strict and suspicious course of action within the Congress and with the other congressmen, becoming an "iron sergeant" to assure loyality to Michele Appiano De Borromei. 'Minister of the Republic' Despite numerous criticisms addressed to him for the excessive adulation directed at the Head of State and the closeness to the Minister of the Interior, according to some just a grim tactic to scale the power, Valenti asserted definitively himself as leader of the party into the Congress. Then, when the Minister of Interior Filippo Sartori proposed the creation of the Coalition for the Democratic Cooperation to contrast the fascist Nationalist Workers Party, he was the one who persuaded the newly founded Social Democratic party led by his cousins Valentina to join the coalition and ensuring thus to the party the large left-wing voting area that allowed the Coalition to impose itself on the fascist lists. Damiano Valenti was rewarded by Appiano De Borromei who chosen him to become Minister of Justice in his second cabinet. In this position Valenti was again crucial in 1962 when the Social Democrats made trouble the majority because of the welfare reform: it was Valenti who succeeded in making Liberal and Social Democratic compromises, gaining great appreciation from Sartori and the Head of State showing resoluteness as well as intelligence and political hability. When the fascist NWP was dissolved after discovered to plan violent armed uprising, the Coalition seemed to have no more reason to exist, but both Sartori and Valenti managed to convince the various souls of the alliance to remain together continuing to support Michele Appiano De Borromei and to offer the country a new great government of national unity to continue the impressive reforms which were concretely reviving the destiny of Istalia. The coalition inevitably regained the Congress with the 4567 elections, while Michele Appiano De Borromei was reconfirmed to lead the state in an atmosphere of national exaltation promoted by Guard of Democracy, which leadership was moving to Valenti now that Sartori expressed to be fatigued by age and that the Head of the State offered to Valenti the place of Minister of Interior. Around 4568, as Minister of Interior and thus actually Deputy Leader of the Government, after several close conversation with Appiano De Borromei, who was expressing is intention to retire from politics before the next elections, Valenti began to reflect deeply on the future of the country, considering the mood of the nation, how much the country had experienced over the past 20 years and where it was going. 'The Imperial Reform' It was in 4570 that Valenti presented to his closer collaborators his idea about to transform Istalia into a constitutional and popular monarchy, resuming some political reflections made at the time of his youth struggles combining them with the widespread popular admiration for Appiano De Borromei, who was already convinced twice by real popular demonstrations to remain in politics, and the principle of the Militant Democracy promoted by the Head of State and Filippo Sartori enforced in Istalia by Guard of Democracy. In February 4571 the new Imperial Constitution of Istalia was presented before the Parliament to start the debating phase preceding the vote. Valenti was considered the one who, working tirelessly arriving to meet with every single Congressmen, made triumphaly approve the Constitution in August and that, caimpaigning for the referendum with the same resoluteness, convinced the istalians to accept the reform with a veritable plebiscitary vote. After all this committment, after having introduced, made approve and accept what probably was the the most radical and revolutionary constitutional and institutional reform in centuries and centuries if not millennia, after the popular vote to elect the first National Assembly of the Istalian Empire, held at the end of September, Valenti was the natural candidate to led the first executive of the newly founded Istalian Empire and than approached by the President of the Assembly who entrusted him with the task of forming a government and appearing before legislature which confirmed its confidence. 'First Prime Minister of the Empire' The Government led by Damiano Valenti was focused mainly in finalizing the imperial reform approving several regulations and laws to accompany the reform, however, the main challenge for Valenti was the defence of his reform and of the new institutional role of the Emperor from the attacks and the criticms at home as well as from abroad. The Istalian Nationalist Party, in fact, founded in the aftermath of the reform, achieved to gather together all those opposed to it and began an opposing and smearing campaign against the National Alliance and the Emperor, even extending the crisis internationally contacting and involving several nations, first of all Solentia and Selucia, which expressed critism and concerns. Valenti had to work hard to oppose the nationalists and the many veritable falsehoods they spread, defending and highlighting the democratic nature of the reform as well as committing himself in the electoral caimpaign for the elections 4575. Despite the elections was gained by the Nationalists, they didn't achieved to seize the necessary majority to overcome the reform and Valenti thus was able to leave Antinori Palace with serenity, having also said in an electoral campaign that preventing the nationalists from winning enough seats to reverse his reform would have already been a great victory for him. 'At the opposition' Paradoxically, Valenti was able to better improve the international image of the Imperial Istalia when at the opposition under the Saeed's Government, first of all launching strong criticism against the restrictive reforms of the Nationalist on the field of civil rights but mainly having more time to dedicate himself h24 to the promotion of the imperial reform, voyaging to meet several politicians and political parties in friend nations and, probably his most important success, forcing the former Solentian President McSane to issue an official apology to Istalia for his allegations about the intention of Valenti's Government and in general of the new Imperial Istalia to want declare war to Solentia, behind which Valenti suspected there were the lies of the Nationalists and their pressure on the Solentian government once in power. After the debacle of McSane, Valenti continue to trip around the friend nations and mainly in Solentia where he achieved to bring to his part many other political parties, among them also the party of the former President. With the international crisis on the imperial reform which was about to be over, Valenti was able to dedicate himself totally to more political issues and to the caimpagin for the incoming elections of 4580, beginning to transform the National Alliance from a big-tent party gathering together the parties in support of the imperial reform into a party that is monarchical but also a business-friendly and a convinced advocate of a society and an economy free from moral impositions, where the state remains outside the citizens' chambers, and a negative statism for the economy and businesses. This shift of the party was due also to the awareness that many social democrats and socialist democrats had voted for the nationalists in contrast with the liberal tendencies already then majority in the Alliance. Second Valenti's Cabinet Valenti's work at the opposition under the Saeed's Government was rewarded during the 4580 Elections and the National Alliance surpassed the Nationalists regaining the majority of the National Assembly. Valenti was thus able to form his second government and this time he fully focused on working on the economic and welfare reforms announced during the electoral campaign among the most largest of their kind, aimed to stimulate the business and the private investment in the country. The most important were the Ddl 01/4582 - Economic Act to stimulate the Business, followed by an incisive corporation tax reduction, and the Ddl 03/4582 - Reform of Istalian Health Care: Universal Contracted Single-Payer System ''with which was reformed the entire health care system. The Valenti's Government reintroduced also the ''Underage Employment Regulatory Text. With the implicit support of Valenti's government, the parliamentary majority approved the privatization of the public TOC and made pass also a broad bill inspired by liberatarian principles which touched matters related to economy, morality and also justice. Internationally, Valenti had to face the ood menaces and anti-istalian stance of the Solentian President Donald Mump who, after rejection by part of Solentia, which Senate approved a motion of no-confidence and also requested his judiciary indictment for corruption, was arrested by Istalian authority for conspiracy against Istalia. After this brief crisis, Valenti was able to fully recover the relations with Solentia and in 4581 with the highest solentian authorities he inaugurated the Mount TonanteTunnel. Always about the international efforts, Valenti improved furthermore the relations with Hulstria and Gao Soto, which monarchy had become ever more close to the istalian one thanks also thanks to the friendship established between the two royal houses. The Socialists & Democrats and the fall of the PNI Around 4583 a new party was founded, the Socialists & Democrats which began both to challenge the liberalism of the National Alliance and questioning the position of the Nationalits as ANI's opposition. During the last months of the 4580-4584 term S&D and PNI came closer and actually a possible post electoral alliance began to be foreseen. Despite the outcomes of the elections granted the plurality to the National Alliance, as expected, S&D and PNI agreed to form a coalition government which was in office in December 4584. At the beginning of the following year, however, the PNI was disbanded and most part of its leadership arrested for conspiring against the State with foreign forces, actually a solentian party controlled by the Nationalists to turn the public opinion of Solentia against the Istalian monarchy; furthermore, the PNI was convicted for the publication of false informations continuing to accuse the Emperor to be the political leader of the National Alliance. The one most damaged by the action of PNI, however, it was the party of Socialists & Democrats which lost its opportunity to lead the executive and after the codemnation of the PNI immediatly asked for early elections: it was the Emperor to intervene dissolving the National Assembly and calling for early elections. However, an unauthorized press message by part of the PNI was released illegally in behalf of the government just before the removal of PNI's Ministers: the Prime Minister Paolo Tarso suddently responded with a counter press message disproving all the allegations by PNI and condemning its actions but in order to remove all PNI residual staffs and influence within the government, a caretaker government led by Tarso was formed with Valenti appointed as Minister of the Interior. 'Retirement from the politics' The early elections of 4586 saw the Socialists & Democrats achieving a landslide victory while the National Alliance touched its all-time low and the the most massive haemorrhage of votes ever seen over the past 25 years. Damiano Valenti, who already under the electoral campaign had given space to many new faces of the party, took responsability of the electoral debacle and not only he resigned from any role within the party but Valenti also announced his withdrawal from the politics, releasing already during the electoral night, when the disastrous result was fully manifesting itself in all its gravity, a last fully emotional message: 'Honored as first Duke of Ulbia' Following his official retirement from the politics of Valenti, after few months the Emperor announced his decision to honor him for the long years of services rendered to the Empire and to the Crown: Michele I signed and issued Patent Letters to confer on Valenti the noble title of first Duke of Ulbia, the hometown of the former Prime Minister. A ceremony was therefore organized at Quattroregni Palace where, in the presence of the High Dignities of the Empire, some important institutional offices, including the Prime Minister Tarso, became friend of Valenti, and therefore of the Valenti's family and the most important exponents of the National Alliance, the Emperor officially created Valenti Duke of Ulbia by delivering in his hands the Patent Letters screen-printed in golden ink and placing on his head a golden coronet with small embossed eagles and with a purple-violet cap surmounted by a white tassel, a physical honor created specifically for this occasion. The new Duke of Ulbia was the first nobleman created over centuries and the first ever created by an Istalian monarch in contemporary times. In the same occasion, Damiano Valenti has been also awarded the title of Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Istalian Star, the highest ranking honour for a citizens of the Istalian Empire. Personal Life Damiano Valenti is married with Benedetta Mattioli since 4549, with whom he had been engaged since 4545 but had not been able to marry previously because of the Thallerist Revolution. With his wife he had two children Giacomo and Sara, the first of them who is following his father's footsteps into the politics began to acting at the municipal level in Romula. After his withdrawal from politics he retired himself with his wife in Ulbia, in the old parent's house dedicating himself on the cultural life of the city and dedicating himself to architecture and some other business affairs. Category:Istalian politicians Category:Istalian people Category:History of Istalia